


Ben's Protector

by idrilhadhafang



Series: The Broken Edge Deleted Extended and Alternate Scenes -- Ben's childhood [6]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Good Parent Han Solo, Jedi Ben Solo, POV Han Solo, Papa Wolf Han Solo, Parent Han Solo, Young Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 14:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12483492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: The evolution of Han protecting Ben.





	Ben's Protector

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidgardianNerd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidgardianNerd/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author's Notes: This is for MidgardianNerd. I hope she likes it!

Age two:

It's one night when Han's up in the cockpit of the _Falcon_ that Ben walks up to him and says, "Daddy?"

Han spins around in his chair to look at his tiny son, and he says, "You okay, kiddo?"

"I can't sleep. Monsters."

"You want to sleep up here?"

Ben nods. 

Han scoops Ben into his arms just then, and they fall asleep, Ben resting in his father's arms, Han holding him and humming to him all the while, murmuring soothingly to him. They fall asleep in the cockpit even as the stars shine outside the ship. 

 

Age four: 

When Ben goes off to the Academy, Han hates it, but he finds ways to visit when he can. Occasionally he thinks about rescuing Ben from that terrible place and taking him on adventures. He can just imagine it, he and Ben, father and son, teaching Ben how to pilot and things of that nature. It would be better for him, instead of being in that hellhole all the time. 

He defends Ben twice. Once from a particularly nasty Jedi Master named Naris, who seems to think Ben is some sort of freak. Never mind that Ben isn't. Even if Han were seeing from the outside of someone who didn't adore this sweet kid as much as he did, he wouldn't think of Ben as a freak. Another time, he defends Ben from Luke himself. 

"Four year olds shouldn't be wielding lightsabers," Han says to him. "Seriously. You want him to cut his fingers off?"

"They're practice lightsabers."

"Oh, that makes it so much better," Han says sarcastically. "Seriously, Luke, is there any chance you could not give kids weapons they could kill each other with?"

And besides, he thinks, they should be playing. Not trying to cut each other up. What kind of sick, twisted bastard thought that kids should be wielding weapons for adults? Ben shouldn't even come close to living in the same hell that Han did when he was a child. 

He doesn't change Luke's mind. But, at least he can give himself credit for trying. 

 

Age fourteen:

When Ben has to testify at Haranka's trial, Han is there. He already can't believe that his boy is going up against such a monster while he's so young. He shouldn't. He should be playing and hanging out with friends and talking about crushes (assuming the Jedi aren't so anti-fun that they try and stomp that out), not testifying against a monster. And yet his son's brave, incredibly brave. For one so vulnerable and fragile-seeming, he's also strong. So very strong.

It's going to be a difficult road. But Han knows that he's going to back Ben up with all he has.

 

Age twenty: 

It's after Thomas' death that Ben changes in terms of attitude. They have the funeral, and it's like a light's gone out in Ben in that moment. His eyes are just focused on the funeral pyre even as the flames wind into the sky, and he seems to be staring across a thousand miles. 

Han walks over towards him, and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey." Ben looks up at him. 

"How are you feeling?" Of course it's a stupid question; Ben's doing horribly. 

"It..." Ben stumbles even as he says it. Finally, he says, "It was my fault."

"It wasn't, kiddo. Believe me. There is no way that what happened to Thomas was your fault."

Of course, later at the funeral, Master Naris disagrees. 

"If you hadn't been so slow, perhaps he'd still be alive." Naris says. 

The look on Ben's face -- he looks like he's been stabbed. He stumbles back, eyes wide, and Liana speaks up. "Master Naris -- "

"It's the truth," Naris says. "Ben always was a shoddy duelist. A one-legged drunken tach would have been able to hold up against Lisaris better -- and perhaps he would have been able to save Thomas as well."

Han lashes out with his fist. The satisfying crunch of bone under his fist lets him know that he just hit Naris in the nose. Naris stumbles back, and Han feels a sort of grim satisfaction. 

"Don't you ever say that about Ben again," he says. 

The others are already whispering, already murmuring in astonishment. Apparently, no one has ever actually punched the bastard before. 

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, Han thinks. 

"You shouldn't have done it," Luke says, later. "That wasn't really any way to behave at a funeral."

Han snorts. "He wasn't exactly a perfect angel either, Luke."

"I know but -- "

"It wasn't Ben's fault," Han says. "There's no conceivable dimension where this was Ben's fault."

"No." Luke takes a deep breath. "It wasn't. I'll talk to Naris about it."

Han snorts. "Talk to him. That'll show him."

"It would be better than punching him."

And yet, on the flight home, Han finds he regrets nothing. 

 

Age twenty-two:

When Ben and Poe are engaged, Han finds that of course, there are some people talking about it in a negative way. And Han's had to punch a few of them out for talking about two people he cares about like that. 

It's one night when Ben's playing sabaac with Han that he says, "You don't have to defend me. I'm used to it now."

Han's heart can't help but break. "Kiddo...you shouldn't be used to it. People shouldn't be talking about you like that. Period."

"You always believe in me, don't you, Dad?" The faint hints of a smile come to Ben's face. 

"Kiddo, no matter how old you are, I'm always going to be there. It's my job. I know I haven't been perfect, but I don't love you any less."

Ben smiles. That sort of smile -- that's something Han would kill for if it meant seeing it more often. "I know."

 

 


End file.
